Parents association starts petition for new safety measures at Riverdale school

A group of parents in Riverdale has started a petition for new safety measures at their children’s school.
The parents association at P.S. 81 started the Keep Our Children Safe petition.
The parents are calling on the Department of Education, along with the mayor’s office and a number of elected officials, to install security cameras at every building exit.
The petition lists a handful of other action items that the parents association would like to see, but News 12 will not list them out of an abundance of caution for the children’s safety.
Parents at the Riverdale elementary school saw a need for change after the school massacre last year in Parkland, Florida. Since then, the parents say they have seen the violence continue at a number of schools across the country.
They say that months ago, the Riverdale community was shaken after hearing news that a student brought a gun onto school property at Riverdale Kingsbridge Academy, just blocks away from P.S. 81.
At least 300 people have signed the petition, with a goal of 700 signatures.
The Department of Education said in a statement, "Our schools are safe, and the DOE uses cameras and door alarms in school buildings as part of a comprehensive school safety strategy that is developed in ongoing consultation with NYPD...The School Capital plan includes funding for the installation of additional cameras."